Director of Charles Village Benefits District quits

Janet Levine, the executive director of the Charles Village Benefits District, has suddenly resigned from the organization she ran for nearly three years, The Examiner has learned.

The departure, which comes on the heels of a contentious City Council reauthorization vote and a lawsuit filed by residents asking to be excluded from the tax the organization imposes on them, was announced in an e-mail without any explanation.

“I have no idea why she left,” said Odette Ramos, the interim director who is contracted to replace Levine for three months. Ramos has held management positions with several area nonprofits and is working for state Del. Salima Siler Marriott?s 40th district senate campaign. Ramos said her role is only temporary.

“I?m here to handle the transition,” she said.

“After three months, it will be up to the board whether or not to renew my contract,” Ramos said.

Recently the benefits district has been embroiled in controversy.

A lawsuit filed in June by 17 district residents sought to dissolve the group?s taxing authority. City Council hearings to reauthorize the district were contentious, with roughly equal numbers of residents speaking for and against the organization. The Examiner also reported that the benefits district had no black salaried employees, a fact that critics said was unacceptable in an area that is predominantly black.

City Council members whose districts included parts of the district expressed surprise at Levine?s departure.

“I?m trying to figure what happened. I?m totally surprised,” said Council Member Jack Young, D-11th District, who said he fully supported Levine. “She was a wonderful person; I liked her,” he said.

Council Member Belinda Conaway, D-9th District, said she received an e-mail about Levine?s departure that offered no explanation. “It?s a shock, I don?t know why she left,” she said. And while Conaway said she thought Levine did a good job, Conaway said the organization needed to be more responsive to her concerns. “I asked them about a lack of minorities on staff at a City Council hearing, and they attacked me,” she said.

Council Member Mary Pat Clarke, D-14th District expressed relief. “It?s a new day,” she said, seemingly cheered by Ramos? appointment.

Dan Gleckler, a resident of Charles Village for nearly 40 years, said the benefits district has not been responsive to residents.

“People were raising questions whether they were truly representing the neighborhood,” he said. “I though it was justifiable criticism,” he said.

Gleckler said that the benefits district has become too divisive, and that many of the services it provides could be better handled by the neighborhood itself. “I wouldn?t be against closing it,” he said. “We?ve certainly proved in the past that our community is capable of working together to solve our problems.”

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